Anchor chock

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for stowing an anchor of the fluked variety on the deck of a ship has a boxlike anchor chock fixed to the deck which is open at one end to receive the crown end of the anchor. A locking tongue pivoted at one of its ends adjacent the closed end of the chock extends into the chock compartment and, when an anchor is inserted into the chock, overlies a pair of spaced crown plates which are integral with the fluke casting of the anchor. The anchor is inserted with the free end of its shank raised above the deck and as the shank is lowered onto the deck a knob on the shank engages the free end of the tongue and depresses the latter into engagement with the crown plates and renders the anchor assembly immovable. The forward end of the shank may be lashed or otherwise secured to the deck in conventional fashion if extremely heavy seas are to be encountered.

United States Patent 11113,595,194

1711 3,101,067 8/1963 Brydon 114/210 West Sunsbury. Conn.

(2H APPL No. 3 4 Primary Examiner-Milton Buchler 2 Filed Oct 6 19 9 Assistant Examiner-E. K. Yee 1 (45] Patented July 27, 1971 AtlomeysMaurice B. Tasker and Vernon Ft Hauschild [73] Assignee United Aircraft Corporation East Hartford. Conn.

[54] ANCHOR CHOCK 8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 114/210 [5!] Int. Cl 863b 21/22 [50] Field of Search I 14/210,

2,954,004 9/ l 960 Evans ABSTRACT: Apparatus for stowing an anchor of the fluked variety on the deck of a ship has a boxlike anchor chock fixed to the deck which is open at one end to receive the crown end of the anchor. A locking tongue pivoted at one of its ends adjacent the closed end of the chock extends into the chock compartment and, when an anchor is inserted into the chock, overlies a pair of spaced crown plates .which are integral with the fluke casting of the anchor. The anchor is inserted with the free end of its shank raised above the deck and as the shank is lowered onto the deck a knob on the shank engages the free end of the tongue and depresses the latter into engagement with the crown plates and renders the anchor assembly immovable. The forward end of the shank may be lashed or otherwise secured to the deck in conventional fashion if extremely heavy seas are to be encountered.

r ANCHOR CI-IOCK The invention described herein was made in the course of or under a contract or subcontract thereunder with the Department ofthe Navy.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many devices have been proposed for clamping a fluked anchor to the deck of a ship. The clamping means have been either too complex, too numerous, or too difficult to operate under adverse conditions. Other devices have. utilized a well which requires cutting a sizeable hole in the deck and the provision of a watertight closure for the well. This latter type also creates a hazard below deck.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A primary object of the present invention -is to provide an improved anchor chock capable of securing a fluked anchor in stowed position on a ships deck by manipulation of the pivoted shank of the anchor itselfto clamp the flukes of the anchor firmly in the chock.

A further object of the invention is to provide an anchor chock which is simple and easy to operate even under adverse conditions and from which it is'equally easy to release the anchor from the chock in an emergency.

These and other objects and advantages of the inventio will become evident from the following detailed description of the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION'OF DRAWING FIG. I is a plan view of the deck chock of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view of FIG. l;1and

FIG. 4 is a side elevation, partly insection, showing the anchor in the chock, the shank of the anchor being shown in dot and dash lines in its anchor released position and in full lines in its anchor locked position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring particularly to FIGS: 1- 3 of the drawing, the improved anchor chock of this invention includes a trapezoidal base plate which forms the bottom ofa boxlike structure A, open at one end, into which the crown of the anchor is inserted. Base .10 extends beyond-box A to provide marginal flanges l2 and i4 by means ofwhich the box can be secured to the deck I3 of a ship by screw fasteners extending through holes 18 in the flanges and in baseplate 10 at the open front of box A. The box has two generally right-triangular sidewalls 20 and'22 which are welded to base It) and to an upright backwall 24. The side and back walls of the chock are reinforced by oblique triangular gussets 26 and 28 external of the box A and by a central triangular gusset 30 located between gussets 26 and 28 which is welded to baseplate l0 and backwall 24. Parts 20. 22, I0. 24 and 30 could be an'integral casting if desired.

Backwall 24 has two rectangular apertures 32-, one on either side of central gusset 30. which receive the furcations 34 of a locking tongue 36 bifurcated at one end and having its other and longer end extended into box A. Thelocking tongue is held in place for limited freedom-of movement by engagement of the bottom of notch 38 which forms the base of the furcations 34 with the inner face 40 of backwall 24 between apertures 32 and by a locking membersuch as cotter pin 42 which extends transversely through thefurcations 34 of the tongue at a point spaced slightly to the rear of the inclined rear edge of central gusset 30. The cotter pin is spaced from gusset 30 sufficiently to allow the tongue to move vertically in aperture 32 to effect the locking of an anchorin the chock box A as will be presently described.

The anchor which is adapted to be secured in the chock box A comprises an integral fluke casting including two wellspaced flukes 44 connected by a crown 46 which has the usual stock 48 rigidly secured therein. The stock extends laterally' on both sides of the crown and insures that the anchor when in' use will lie on one of its sides or the other on the bottom in position for the flukes to penetrate the bottom. Thus the flukes 44, the crown 46 and the stock 48 are all rigidly secured together. A shank 50 is pivoted on stock 48 between the two' flukes 44 and has at its free end the usual shackle (not shown) for attachment to a line or chain.

Crown 46 has cast integral therewith two well-spaced webs 52, only one of which is shown in FIG. 4 of the drawing; but it willbe understood that one is provided for each fluke 44.

Each web 52 carries two divergent planar crown plates 54 which enable the flukes to engage bottom promptly. Also they* cooperate with locking tongue 36of this invention to secure the fluke casting of which they form a part in the chock box A. It will be noted that the ends of the crown plates are rounded to facilitate entry of these plates into the box and subsequently movement relative to the inner surfacesof the box and the' locking tongue.

Pivoted shank 50 carries two blocks. or knobs, 56 and 58 adjacent its pivot 48, one of which is always in position to engage locking plate 36 when shank 50 is lowered onto the deck.

This knob could be placed on top of locking tongue 36, in which case only one would be required. It will be evident that the upper knob 56 and upper crown'plate 54 are used when the anchor is lying on its other side.

In using the anchor chock of this invention the anchor is inserted crown first into box A by grasping the shank 50, while I holding the free end of the shank in an elevated position comfortable for the operator. In thisposition of the shank the two crown plates 54 adjacent the deckcan be readily inserted into gagement with the rounded points'of the two crown plates in the box. The locking tongue 36 then fulcrums about a line 60 at the top of apertures 32 and further movement of shank 50 onto the deck locks the fluke casting in the rear corner of the box. If extremely severe pitching of the ship is anticipated the free end of shank 50 can be lashed to the deck by conventional means, but this should ordinarily not be necessary.

From the above description of the invention it will be evident that an anchor-locking'chock has been provided by which locking of the anchor is accomplished by the insertion of the anchor into the chock and subsequent movement of the shank of the anchor onto the deck. No manipulation of clamp ing devices other than the simple lowering of the shank of the anchor itself is ordinarily necessary. Likewise when it is required to cast the anchor overboard it is only necessary to pick up the shank and withdraw the anchor from the chock.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for ob vious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim: 1. A holddown device for securing a pivoting fluke anchor to a ship's deck, the anchor having'a fluke casting including a crown with integral flukes and a shank member pivoted at one of its ends to said casting between the flukes, said device including a base adapted to be'secured to the deck and having upstanding walls forming a partial enclosure into which the crown ofthe anchor can be inserted, a locking tongue member carried by said walls for limited pivotal movement having one end extended into said enclosure, the support for said tongue member normally maintaining the extended end thereof spaced above said base to allow insertion of the crown of the anchor into said enclosure beneath'said tongue member when the free end of said shank member is raised above the deck, and means for clamping said fluke casting against the inner walls of said enclosure upon lowering said shank member onto the deck including an abutment carried by one of said members for engaging the other member upon lowering said shank member to depress said tongue member.

2. The holddown device of claim 1 in which the abutment is carried by the shank member and comprises a knob engageable with the extended end of the locking tongue member.

3. The holddown device of claim 1 in which the fluke casting has a pair of spaced webs terminating in diverging crown plates which are moved against the backwall of the enclosure upon insertion of the anchor into the enclosure and which are engaged by the locking tongue when the latter is depressed by the abutment.

4. The holddown device of claim 1 in which the backwallof the device has two laterally spaced apertures and the tongue which is bifurcated at one end-has its furcations extended through said apertures, and means providing a floating support for said tongue including a locking member external of said enclosure which extends laterally through said furcations and prevents displacement of said tongue member.

5. The holddown device of claim 4 in which a triangular gusset is provided between the base and the backwall of the enclosure between the apertures, and the locking member normally rests against the hypotenuse of said gusset.

6. The holddown device of claim 4 in which the divergent crown plates have rounded ends which engage the base and the rear wall of the enclosure and lie beneath the tongue with the furcations of the latter raised above the bottoms of the apertures in the back wall be said crown plates and fulcrumed on the top wall of the apertures.

7. An anchor chock having a baseplate adapted to be secured to a ship's deck and having upstanding walls forming a partial enclosure open at the front, and a locking tongue supported in said walls at one end for limited movement toward and away from said base plate and extended at its other end into said enclosure in position to permit insertion of an anchor into said enclosure beneath said tongue.

8. in combination, an anchor chock having a base adapted to be secured to a ship's deck and having upstanding walls forming a partial enclosure open at the front, a locking tongue supported in said walls at the back of said enclosure for limited pivotal movement having one end extended into said enclosure in position to permit insertion of an anchor into said enclosure beneath said tongue, and an anchor having an in tegral fluke casting including a pair of flukes, a fluke connecting crown and divergent crown plates for each fluke, said anchor also having a stock fixed in said fluke casting, and a shank for said anchor pivoted at one end on said stock between said flukes having upper and lower knobs adjacent its pivot in position to engage and depress said locking tongue against said crown plates therebeneath.

3 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 595 194 Dated l 27, 1971 Inventor) Robert D. Wolff It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Claim 6, line 25, column 3 Delete "4" and insert 3-- Signed and sealed this 11th day of January 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER, JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attestinp; Officer Acting Commissioner of Patents 

1. A holddown device for securing a pivoting fluke anchor to a ship''s deck, the anchor having a fluke casting including a crown with integral flukes and a shank member pivoted at one of its ends to said casting between the flukes, said device including a base adapted to be secured to the deck and having upstanding walls forming a partial enclosure into which the crown of the anchor can be inserted, a locking tongue member carried by said walls for limited pivotal movement having one end extended into said enclosure, the support for said tongue member normally maintaining the extended end thereof spaced above said base to allow insertion of the crown of the anchor into said enclosure beneath said tongue member when the free end of said shank member is raised above the deck, and means for clamping said fluke casting against the inner walls of said enclosure upon lowering said shank member onto the deck including an abutment carried by one of said members for engaging the other member upon lowering said shank member to depress said tongue member.
 2. The holddown device of claim 1 in which the abutment is carried by the shank member and comprises a knob engageable with the extended end of the locking tongue member.
 3. The holddown device of claim 1 in which the fluke casting has a pair of spaced webs terminating in diverging crown plates which are moved against the backwall of the enclosure upon insertion of the anchor into the enclosure and which are engaged by the locking tongue when the latter is depressed by the abutment.
 4. The holddown device of claim 1 in which the backwall of the device has two laterally spaced apertures and the tongue which is bifurcated at one end has its furcations extended through said apertures, and means providing a floating support for said tongue including a locking member external of said enclosure which extends laterally through said furcations and prevents displacement of said tongue member.
 5. The holddown device of claim 4 in which a triangular gusset is provided between the base and the backwall of the enclosure between the apertures, and the locking member normally rests against the hypotenuse of said gusset.
 6. The holddown device of claim 4 in which the divergent crown plates have rounded ends which engage the base and the rear wall of the enclosure and lie beneath the tongue with the furcations of the latter raised above the bottoms of the apertures in the back wall be said crown plates and fulcrumed on the top wall of the apertures.
 7. An anchor chock having a baseplate adapted to be secured to a ship''s deck and having upstanding walls forming a partial enclosure open at the front, and a locking tongue supported in said walls at one end for limited movement toward and away from said base plate and extended at its other end into said enclosure in position to permit insertion of an anchor into said enclosure beneath said tongue.
 8. In combination, an anchor chock having a base adapted to be secured to a ship''s deck and having upstanding walls forming a partial enclosure open at the front, a locking tongue supported in said walls at the back of said enclosure for limited pivotal movement having one end extended into said enclosure in position to permit insertion of an anchor into said enclosure beneath said tongue, and an anchor having an integral fluke casting including a pair of flukes, a fluke connecting crown and divergent crown plates for each fluke, said anchor also having a stock fixed in said fluke casting, and a shank for said anchor pivoted at one end on said stock between said flukes having upper and lower knobs adjacent its pivot in position to engage and depress said locking tongue against said crown plates therebeneath. 